About Cal Skinner

We Hate Spam!

We have recently instituted a system of spam control that helps keep the McHenry County Blog a lean, mean information machine. A side product of this process is that in certain cases you might be blocked or challenged to prove that you aren't a robot in order to comment on articles.

If for some reason the automated processes that are in place to prove that you are a human do not work, or if you have any other technical problems with the blog, please email techguy at any time for speedy resolution.

Movie Goes After Mike Madigan

New documentary “Madigan: Power, privilege, politics” to screen across Illinois this week

Documentary will be screened this week in Springfield and Downers Grove; screenings also scheduled for Woodstock, Kankakee, Elgin, Chicago, Elmhurst, Elk Grove Village and Gurnee

CHICAGO (Oct. 10, 2016) — Tickets are on sale for screenings of the new documentary, “Madigan: Power, privilege, politics,” which will begin showing this week at theaters across Illinois.

Screenings are scheduled throughout the month at theaters across the state.

This informational documentary takes an unprecedented look at the life and influence of Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, one of the state’s most powerful political figures of all time.

Illinois is one of only 14 states without term limits, and this documentary highlights the influence an officeholder can wield in the absence of term limits.

Madigan is the longest-serving House speaker in Illinois history and in the nation currently. Madigan became an Illinois lawmaker in 1971 and has been speaker of the House in Illinois for all but two years since 1983.

Since Madigan first became the House speaker, Illinois has had six different governors, more than 200 state senators and more than 500 state representatives.

“A Tribune investigation sought to do just that, documenting employees at every level of state and local government who work elections for Madigan, donate regularly to his campaign funds, register voters for him or circulate candidate petitions on his behalf.

By that conservative measure, the newspaper found more than 400 current or retired government employees with strong political ties to Madigan.”

**No term limits has resulted in a patronage army for Michael Madigan.

“A Tribune investigation sought to do just that, documenting employees at every level of state and local government who work elections for Madigan, donate regularly to his campaign funds, register voters for him or circulate candidate petitions on his behalf.**

So, how, exactly, does term limits end patronage? You do realize that term limits will make patronage armies MORE important, right? Term limits will place MORE power in the hands of a) those who know how to win elections (i.e. Madigan – say what you want about him, but he’s really really good at winning elections), and b) lobbyists and unelected staff who will have a much greater working knowledge of both process and policy.

Term limits will have no negative impact on patronage armies, and will, in fact, make them much more important and valuable.

Featured to date 19 of the 67 Democrats in the Illinois State Representatives in the 100th Illinois General Assembly, which will be in session Wednesday January 11, 2017 – presumably Wednesday January 9, 2019: